Superhero fans young and old will be thrilled with the action-packed excitement of the Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes show, performing though July 22 at NRG Stadium. Fan favorites Spider-Man, The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy battle plenty of baddies in their quest to defend the universe from evil. The show features cutting-edge special effects, aerial maneuvers, pyrotechnics, martial arts, motorcycle stunts and vast 3D video projection mapping that breathes life and depth to each new scene.Our Review of Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes & Tips For Success
Superhero fans young and old will be thrilled with the action-packed excitement of the Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes show, performing though July 22 at NRG Stadium. Fan favorites Spider-Man, The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy battle plenty of baddies in their quest to defend the universe from evil. The show features cutting-edge special effects, aerial maneuvers, pyrotechnics, martial arts, motorcycle stunts and vast 3D video projection mapping that breathes life and depth to each new scene.
The show begins with Doctor Strange in a race against time to secure a powerful wand before it falls into Loki's hands and threatens to destroy the universe. We're first introduced to the Guardians of the Galaxy who must prevent Nebula from stealing the wand from Yondu. In the next scene, we meet everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. This segment is full of plenty of villains - Black Cat, Green Goblin, Rhino, Electro and The Lizard - too many for Spidey to fight himself! Thankfully he gets an assist from Captain American and Black Widow on their motorbikes, The Wasp from the skies and Black Panther for ground support. Thor and Iron Man later join in. There are blasts and sparks aplenty with tame pyro that excites. We watch as Loki traps Bruce Banner and the Avengers now have a new mission - to not only recover the wand but get their friend back! In the next scene we're transported to a mystical city with fireworks, silk aerialists and dragon dancers. Loki brings several stone soldiers to life to battle The Wasp, Dr. Strange, Thor and Iron Man. Iron Fist appears to defend his city and save the day. After 40 minutes of performance, the show takes a 25 min. intermission. 
We return from intermission watching the Avengers attempt to intercept the wand in Antarctica, which magically conceals a hidden jungle. This scene features the most motorbike action of the show with Black Widow, Cap and Spider-Man all showing off their ramp and jump skills as Black Panther leads them to a hidden fire temple. The temple scene is one of the most fun of the show, with taiko-style drums and fire dancers. In a parallel search for the wand, we rejoin the Guardians on Nowhere as they attempt to steal The Collectors Cosmic Eye. In this scene, Rocket releases some scary aliens from their cages. The younger girl behind us started freaking out and my 4 year old son turned around to console her by telling her "it's not real." My heart beamed and ached just a bit. The final scene brings us to Asgard where The Avengers are reunited and the battle for the wand reaches its epic conclusion. The second act clocked in around 40 minutes. On the way back to the car, my son looked up at me and said, "This is the funniest day ever, Mom." It was an awesome performance that really excites from start to finish. 
My tips for success:- We arrived at NRG Stadium a bit before the gates opened, so its helpful to know that gates open one prior to show time.
- Wear your superhero swag! Entire families were all decked out in Marvel shirts, socks, capes and costumes. In an old Spider-Man Halloween costume and mask my son felt like the King of NRG. He got lots of high-fives and smiles.
- Advise your kids what they might expect to see and hear. There are lasers, strobes, smoke and mild fireworks. For kids scared of the dark, the matinee performance was not dark at all with enough daylight peeking through the curtains to comfortably see the entire stadium. I imagine the night performances are much more dark. I did not think ear protection was necessary - the music and dialogue were at acceptable levels. Motorbike action was exciting but not scary or loud.
- Think about meals before you go - food and drinks are not allowed at NRG Stadium so eat before you come or at the stadium. I had a few small snacks in my purse that were a perfect treat. My son frequently asked for water, so I'd suggest bringing an empty water bottle with you to fill up on-site.
- Talk to your kids about reasonable expectations for any possible merchandise purchases. There's plenty of fun (all with a fee) in the concourse - face painting, green screen photos with your favorite heroes, merchandise (glow spinners starting at $25) and snow cones (starting at $12). I brought plenty of dollar store glow items in my purse to keep my son happy and reminded him that we had just eaten and had plenty of Marvel toys at home.
- There are a few characters from the Marvel Universe that we haven't introduced to our kids to due to maturity (Dr. Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy), but their scenes were tame and the witty humor adults appreciate from Rocket and Drax was still there in tame form for a family audience.
- I think the show skews younger - preschooler to early elementary school age. The costumes and acting are exaggerated. The dialogue is pre-recorded and lip-synced to. Many of the heroes are flying around on visible wires. I think the magic is best felt with kids that aren't going to dwell on these details.
Produced by Feld
Entertainment, Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes will be in Houston
for 13 performances through July 22. Tickets are on sale now and start at $25. All seats are
reserved, and tickets are available by calling 1.800.745.3000.Remaining Performance Schedule:
July 15th at 1:30 and 5:30 PM, July 19th at 7:30 PM, 20th at 11 AM and 7:30 PM, 21st at 1:30 and 5:30 PM, 22nd at 1:30 and 5:30 PM
To discover more about Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes, go to marveluniverselive.com.
I was provided complimentary tickets for this review. View our full FTC Disclosure Statement here.
